Can opener



Sept. 9, 1952 D. M. WILSON CAN OPENER Filed April 26, 1952 flmaenl'or Donald WVLWilOtl wvnmss W Patented Sept. 9, 1952 UNITED STATS V 2,609,599

CAN OPENER Donald M. Wi son West Des Moines. Iowa Application-April 26, 1952, Serial No. 284,503

. Claims.

. 1 i My invention relates to the art of-opening food storage cans. Specifically I have invented an improved can opener that is readily maintained in a sanitary condition without risk of damaging the working parts'of the can opener and'which also reduces by one-half the motions necessary to punch and mount the can in the conventional opener. V

I Ever since the so-called "tin can was invented our civilization has been prolific in producing devices for opening the cans in order to extract the contents. While the known openers cover a very broad range of types and styles of devices, my discussion here is limited to openers of the type that mount ona wall or other vertical surface or are supported by some means other than the hands of the operator. This general type of opener generally employs a circular rotating cutting blade and a toothed gear working in cooperation. One or the other ofthese members is vertically movable with respect to the other and is provided with leverage sufficient to force the cutter into the can to puncture the can lid and at the same time clamp the can to the opener so that rotation of the toothed driving gear rotates the can. As the can rotates of course the cutting wheel seversthe portion of the canlid that is inside the rim from the balance of the can. In so doing, of course, the interior of the can is exposed to the atmosphere so that the food stored -i in itis removed readily. By reversing the action that clamps the can in the conventional opener, the cutter and driving gear are separated to permit the removal of the can from the open-' er to a convenient place for removing the contents of the can.

.Many improvements and clever mechanical movements have been devised for the basic opener described above but at least two major problems remain unsolved by openers within my knowledge. One of theseis the problem of keeping the cutting blade of the opener clean and sanitary. The other problem is not as serious as the'unsanitary cutter and this second problem is the lost motion involved in using the majority of "conventional devices that employ a separate lever for punching and clamping the can. In-

every can opener known to me and which" employs a separate lever for clamping the can, it is necessary to make four motions to clamp, punch and release the can. The punching clamping lever is'usually' pivoted-neartheforward end of the device a nd the opener is in its most" compact condition when this lever is folded back along-the top of the device. *When'the lever'is' placed this position, however, the cutter and driving gear are in the clamped or. can opening positionl' JBe-i fore a can is placed in the device, therefore; it is necessary to draw the lever forward to separate the gear and the cutter so that the can-rim'can be inserted between them. The-lever isfithen moved to the position from which it-was-just taken in order to punch the can and clamp "itin the opener. The driving gear is then rotatedun-i til the can top is cut as much as desired, at which time the lever isagain swung to a forward position to release the can. After the can is removed; it is only natural toplace the lever back in-its retracted position again in order to get it out of the way. Obviously four movements are involved in the use of the conventional can opener ex elusive of the motion necessary to turn the drive ing gear. I know of at least oneexception tothis. four-motion can clamping and releasing "type .of opener which. is .an opener that clamps thezcan automatically as the driving'gear begins .to .:be rotated and releases the can by reverse action. of. the opener driving gear crank. As this opener has no separate lever for. clamping the can, how: ever, it falls within the exception set out at the beginning of this discussion. .It'isnotcomparable to the separate clamping lever.opener,-=sinc e it employs a relatively complex mechanism and one that is much more expensive than. the sepiarate clamping lever openers.

There is one failing or shortcoming, however,- found in all mounted can openers of which I have any knowledge. Without exception the-cuttingtool in mounted can openers is securedg io he device in a mannerthat makes removal ofthe cutter for regular cleaning highly impractical. if not impossible. The housewife is faced with a dilemma. Either she must permit theopener cutter to accommodate food particles as cans-are opened or she must washthe entire can opener; Practically all mounted openers are provided with a mounting which makes removal of the entire opener to permit washing the cutter blade easy. Without exception also, however, these units require at least a minimum of lubrication. the unit is not washed, the original lubrication is sufiicientfor long service. On the other hand; if the unit is washed regularly it should also'xbe relubricated at frequent intervals. As most housewives fail to oil or grease the mechanism at all, it usually follows that the. working parts of the frequently washed openers are often-rusted or even "frozen so that'normal movement :is impossible. 1 :j:

If the non-washing habit pattern is estab lied and followed, the cutter is soon coated with a mass of dried and hardened food matter that in some instances has caused the cutter to be stuck so that normal rotation as it cuts is impeded and in one case prevented entirely. This last mentioned case is a type that is particularly unfortunate, because the opener creates and deposits in the can an unusually large amount of can cuttings .,commQ y known in the art as iron filings. if theinpener-wouldfail to operate altogether, there would be less real objection to having the rotating cutter become stuck or frozen.

Allowing the cutter to accumulate a deposit of food on it has another and much more serious disadvantage than the deteriorating effect on the mechanical action.

growth of bacteria at room temperatures are great. Even when an acid food has limited the bacteria potential on the, cutter, the appearance oiethe mutter .eencrusted :with :dried .roodzmatter .is.. esthetic.aily :unattracti-ve. nlso moat-1y people prefermotztocopen .noeeand cat;iood 31 15 with thezsameropenerztheya use .ior cans themontents ofiiwhiehzare for human consinnptionnnless the cntterzis vvvashed .after-.nse (01.1 .the former and heforecusemnpthe; latter. The; :difiicultycof washins. zthe {conventional iopener .-.-has vcaused many people ito :provida themselves -with two openers which is an :economicrwaste.

fin'viewrof: chm-foregoin :therefore, it .isthe principal :obiect .19 my, invention .to gprovide ea eannpcner. that;.canibermaintainedrin;a.--s.anitary unclog ed-lcondition.

'.=,stil1 riurther obiect ;.oi this invention; :is to providez-amanzopenerithatrcancbe maintained in a'ssamitary .zconditionsewithont .ida-nger of :interretina-with lubricant on; the-major working parts.

1 3A astill ;-iurther obiect cor rthisyinvention is to provide acan npener :.:that':-reduces ithei'mot-ions necessary -;to' punchsand rclamp the sin zthe opener.

' 'ih'ese :and :other objects ib e .aapparent zto those .skilledin :"theart. -My invention consists in the -construcition,:arrangenien'tgand combination of the variousriparts (if-the device, whereby-{the objects contemplated are attaiined as hereinafter more fully. set :iorth, and specifically -:pointe'd out i in my claims, and illustrated in the accompanying gdrawings, "in

which: i

'-'Fi-g-. l is a perspective:v-iewofmy .canopener wit "the clamping lever 'in the open-position.

2- is an enlarged side -elevation View: of the l tblking parts of my can opener. A portion: :of the -:device is deleted to conserve space z=.while dotted lines "shown the position of the -.clamping and punching lever and cutter in the open position. Broken lines show hidden parts.

'jfillgiBgis anv enlarged cross sectionalview of-my ,canppenertaken ,on'theline '3- 3 of'Fig-z. A

portionofthe device-is deleted togconserve space .,and,a- -.portion:of. a.can is included toshowjthe relation of the parts. of .the can .to ,the opener as the canrisbein rop ed. r

1' Big-e4 an enlar fra mentaryon tud nal sectionalviewmf myican opener taken on the IinerA-H-A of.iFig; :3. Brokendines show hidden parts.

*Fi-g. 5 -is an enlarged sectional ziragmentary viewof -my opener taken: on the linei.5-:-5 ;of Fig. -2=to show how thecutter: cylinder is :removed or inserted.

- Figii is an enlarged perspective view 19f t When non-acid foods are allowed to accumulate, the possibilities ior-A'Ihe 4 arbor cylinder with broken lines used to show hidden passageways in the cylinder.

Referring to the drawings I have used the numeral Ill to designate the main frame or body portion of my opener which is mounted in any convenient manner as by the bracket 12 on vertical surface M. The base or body IB carries a cylindrical arbor element I6 in a well that extends transversely of the body length. A .drilled passage {[8 that ;is.threaded :a't :one end and reduced in size at the'other extends transversely through the arbor. A punching and -clamping lever 28 has threads 22 on it that fit the threads of the arbor cylinder. The end .24 of the lever 20 that lies beyond the threads 22 isiredu'ced in-size-to lit the lower end of bore 18.

A irerticallyextending longitudinal slot .26 that connects with the arbor receiving bore ,permits access-of the lever 29 to the cylinder. Lever end 24 extends beyond the cylinder l6 and enters anapprgpriate groove: ,2 8.:cut. inbase z1;8-.as:;shown in1FigY.-;3. .-The.lever mayrbe providedwithraslmob 511011538 the one designated 30,1130 iacil-itate grasp mgrit. I j

:A7W611132 -.is providedrin thef-lar-borcylinder. to receive thec-uttersupport,cylinders. well 32.-is.tin the form oft-a truncated cone-.andiextends into the arbor cylinder at a compound anglewfith reference to. theaxis of the.arbor-cylindenafid intersects .a portion :of bore t8. Elie-angles. of bore 3.2 are -.such that with the cylinder :-34...in thebore 32 -.and-,handle-.2B iii-the position shown in.lig..'.2 with -solid cutter blade Adds tipped downtand slightly sideways. Assshow-n in.-.E ig. the r g-ht cutter blade sedge .-i s .Jslightly nearer .to body .tll -than .is .the. left one. The

cutter cylinder. -has an .annular groove. .38 extending around; it which permits .the cylinder to be .-..held .in place .by .-having the rear .or ,inside' shoulder 40 .of, groove -:38 engage .the portion .24 of ;lever,-:20,.;-as shown. in. Fig.3. Cutter.- .bladeifi is:rotatably secured to the cylinder .34 by.,any suitable means-such-as .the screw .42 or. the .like. As shown. ina-Fig. 5..a,portion.of. the base is. milled away-.at;.44 totrcomplement the truncatedlcone shapedhore .32 .when theclamping. :and punching lever .isin the position sho.wn..in...Fig. -1.

can top engaging ledge 46- is providedtdhold aeanwtalevelzas the top is being taken out ofthe can. .T-he "led e and its .function iarefillustrated in.Figs..2,.and.3. ,Acan driving gearififlisrigidly securedtotheshaft 52 which intur-n 'is-rotated by .crank. 54. .A washer 55 -spaces the: driving gearfrom thebody portionlu. ,Be'low .the gear is the buiier;or ridge..58..that prevents thej'lolwer portion of the can from moving toward-the space belowthe opener and. causesthecanto. maintain thevvertical attitndedis'clcsedin Fig.3. Cranklli l is provided.withanysuitable jormof handle such as .the. one. designated .60 .to .facilitate hperating crank 54.

.As isclear from. the.-.showing.in l.=ig.-5, the..cutterand its support. canbe withdrawn whenever thelever .20 is in the position shown.in..Fig..1 because well. .32 aligns .withthe removal .and insertionnotchAd. The cutter blade and its. support ing cylinder are easilyremoved when .the device isso positionedgand thisfact inviteswashingthe cutterras frequentlvas the housewifeshould'he so-inclined. Consequently, the cutter willnotbe allowed to accumulate -.a massof food material. Also it, is. not necessary to have 1 separateopeners f0r =.pet-foods and foods-for humanconsumption. Also oficourse, itis a very-easy-matter to ;lubricate thecutter.cylinderl-and-cutter-when :it is re:

iiioved. The only points requiring lubrication are exposed and readily available for oiling. Furthermore, if the cutter is not relubricated after washing, it is the only part damaged by the failure to lubricate. Furthermore since the cutter and its supporting cylinder are easily removed, little expense and effort are required to replace the cutter if it is dulled or fails to rotate properly because of improper maintenance. Fig. 1 discloses that the clamping lever is in its nor mal storing position which is back and out of the way when the opener is open for removal and insertion of cans. Consequently no preliminary motion is necessary before a can is inserted in the opener and the clamping lever pulled forward to punch the lid and secure the can in the opener. Likewise when the lid of the can has been severed and the lever is moved rearwardly to the position shown in Fig. 1 so that the can is freed from the opener, the lever 20 then occupies the position which places it in the position least apt to be in the way. Instead of the usual four movements for the punching and clamping lever, therefore, my opener requires only two to complete a can opening cycle. It is clear that I have invented a can opening machine which accomplishes the objects of my invention.

Some changes may be made in the construction and arrangement of my can opener without departing from the real spirit and purpose of my invention, and it is my intention to cover by my claims, any modified forms of structure or use of mechanical equivalents which may be reasonably included within their scope.

I claim:

1. In a can opener, a body portion; said body portion having a transverse well therein, an arbor cylinder rotatably mounted in the well of said body portion, means for limiting the rotation of said arbor cylinder; said arbor cylinder having an eccentrically positioned well therein, a cylinder fitting within said arbor well, a cutter blade secured to said cylinder, a lever secured to said arbor cylinder for rotating it within its limits; means for holding said cylinder in said arbor well when said arbor is at one limit of its rotation, means for freeing said cylinder from said arbor well when said arbor is at the other limit of its rotation, a driving gear rotatably mounted on said body below said arbor cylinder, and a means for rotating said driving gear.

2. In a can opener, a body portion, a driving gear rotatably mounted on said body portion, a means for rotating said driving gear, an arbor movably mounted on said body member, a cutter operatively associated with said arbor, means for moving said arbor selectively to carry said cutter to a point near said driving gear and away from said driving gear, and means associated with said arbor for selectively securing said cutter to said arbor when said cutter is near said driving gear and freeing said cutter from said arbor when said cutter is moved away from said driving gear.

3. In a can opener, a body portion, a driving gear rotatably mounted on said body portion, a means for rotating said driving gear, an arbor movably mounted on said body member, a cutter operatively associated with said arbor, a lever secured to said arbor for moving it to carry said cutter to a point near said driving gear and away from said driving gear selectively; said lever being in a forward position when said cutter is near said driving gear and in a rearward position when said cutter is moved away from said driving gear, and means associated with said arbor for selectively securing said cutter to said arbor when said outter is near said driving gear and freeing said outter from said arbor when said cutter is moved away from said driving gear.

l. In a can opener, a body portion; said body portion having a transverse well therein, an arbor cylinder rotatably mounted in the well of said body portion, mean for limiting the rotation of said arbor cylinder; said arbor cylinder having an angled well therein, the top of said arbor cylinder well arranged at one side of one end of said arbor cylinder, a supporting cylinder selectively slidably placeable in and removable from said arbor cylinder well, a cutter blade secured to said supporting cylinder, means for looking said supporting cylinder in said arbor cylinder well when said arbor cylinder is at one limit of its rotation, a driving gear rotatably mounted in said body portion in spaced relation to said arbor cylinder, means for imparting rotary motion to said driving gear, and means for rotating said arbor cylinder within limits.

5. In a can opener, a body having a transverse well therein; said body also having a slot extending longitudinally from the front center of said body portion to substantially the top center of said body and communicating with said body transverse well, an arbor cylinder rotatably mounted in said body transverse well; said arbor cylinder having a truncated cone shaped well in it extending from a corner of said arbor cylinder for a substantial portion of its length and at a compound angle with respect to the longitudinal axis of said arbor cylinder, a lever extending'into said body slot and into said cylinder and secured therein; said lever having a portion of it extending into said arbor cylinder well; said body having a portion of its bulk forming the rim and side of said body well cut away to complement the angled well in said arbor cylinder when said lever is at the end of said body slot that is near the top center of said body, a cylinder having an annular groove therein, a cutter secured to said cylinder; said cylinder being slidably insertable and residing in said arbor cylinder well when it is aligned with the cut away portion of said body; the groove of said cylinder engaging said lever; whereby when said lever is moved to the other end of said slot said cylinder is locked in said arbor cylinder, a driving gear rotatably secured to said body spaced from said arbor cylinder, and means for rotating said driving gear.

DONALD M. WILSON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,999,370 Olschewski Apr. 30, 1935 2,375,401 Worley May 8. 1945- 

